“What’s up, Jake?” Mercer asked.
Jake indicated the top of the cavern over the birthing area.
“The bitch sealed herself in tight.”
Mercer looked up, and whistled in appreciation. Instead of a
small opening at the top of the shielding, the shield was sealed along the
entire top of the cavern where the crystal clusters were the thickest. Mercer
watched his friend pace the entire length of the translucent shield surface.
The Queen’s body writhed in a frightful dance as her high-pitched cries
practically vibrated the ground beneath their feet.
“We’ll have to wait for them to come up with the shield
solvent, Jake,” Mercer sighed. “C’mon, lets get back up to the surface. As soon
as they come up with the stuff, we’ll head right back down.”
“You heard Risling,” Jake reminded him, as he walked to the
back egg compartment entrance. “If we come up empty handed today, we’ll both be
walking guard duty at a fertilizer plant on some farm colony.”
“Well,” Mercer laughed. “What do you suggest then? I-- oh no--
no way, Jake. You can not be serious.”
Jake blew away a few of the undersize Bugs hovering around
the cavern, housing the Queen’s egg compartment.
“Her sack’s sealed under that foul ass shit,” Mercer
complained, grabbing Jake’s shoulder as he began entering the chamber. “You’ll
have to go divin’ to get into a position to shoot. Good Lord, your rifle could
stop working, and you’ll be stuck half way up her ass.”
Jake stopped, and burst into laughter at Mercer’s last plea
to keep him from going. A moment later, the two Marines were both leaning
against the cavern wall, howling in laughter. Mendoza’s squad watched their two
commanders, completely mystified at the source of their amusement, as they shot
into the egg cavern entrance periodically. Jake straightened finally, and
clapped Mercer on the back.
“Thanks Charlie, I needed that.” Jake stripped off his outer
armor, and everything but his boots and under-shorts. “I’m glad I brought extra
water. I’ll really need it after I give this Bitch a particle beam enema.”
“Man, that’s disgusting, Jake,” Mercer said distastefully.
“This show’s on a live feed. You’ll have people barfing from here to Earth.”
“They’ll have to see what they can from your helmet cam,
because it ain’t going to do me any good to take mine with me. You will come in
along the side there, and keep the little ones from feeding on my ass while I’m
under this gunk, won’t you?”
Mercer nodded reluctantly. “Okay, but you better make sure
you come up, because I am not going in after you.”
Just then, a change in sound occurred, which brought Jake to
a dead stop. He grabbed his helmet from where he had laid it.